Flaw detector for looms



A. B. SHELTON FLAW DETECTOR FOR LOOMS July Z0, 1948.

Filed June 10, 1946 NRW nw. .s

wm. Pn MHP@ SeZo n WMM w. S )I l\ m\\\\ i n i Q @l m\ YW Tw PW mvv 1Q JMW @NNUU J| l A M\\ l Nil@ July 20, 1948. A. B. sHELToN FLAW DETECTOR FOR LOOMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1946 gwuwwtob dz. hzzm @www July 20, 1948. A. B. sHELToN FLAW DETECTOR FOR LOOMS y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June l0, 1946 fon FMMWWS Patented July 20, 1948 FLAW DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Andrew B. Shelton, Columbus, Ga., assignor to A. B. Shelton Corporation, Columbus, Ga.

Application June 10, 1946, Serial No. 675,557

Claims. (Cl. 139-348) The present invention relates to improvements in looms and more particularly to stop motions therefor.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a simple, eicient and inexpensive means for automatically stopping the operation of the machine upon the detection automatically of defects in the weave of the loom.

Another object thereof is to provide sturdy, dependable means for .attachment to a .part of the loom, so shaped, arranged and functioning that weak spots or other faulty areas of the cloth, being rolled upon the cloth roll of the loom, will be discovered, detected by mechanism that translates into action the means for stopping the loom. In this manner an opportunity is given to make corrections in the machine for overcoming the source of dimculties which caused the defects in the weave.

A still further object is to provide electrically controlled means for detecting defects in the texture of the cloth being Woven on a loom or weaving machine to prevent serious trouble and breakdowns in the workings of the machine in a timely manner, and to overcome the cause of the defects in the weave.

Another object thereof is to provide novel means for closing an electric circuit to the usual electrical stop motion mechanism that effects stoppage of the loom which consists of mechanism for making a circuit closer responsive in operation to the action of a feeler which isin contact with the cloth being wound up on the cloth roll of the loom and which has been pre-set to be actuated automatically when the feeler comes in contact' with defective portions of the advancing cloth.

A further object thereof is to provide a complete unit having means at one endby aid of which it can easily and quickly be mounted in correct position over the breast beam of the loom and arranged to have its feeler immediately brought into engagement with the cloth advancing towards the breast beam to the cloth roll, by virtue of which certain movable parts of a switch mounted upon the unit are pre-set for automatic operation when receiving a slight thrust due to engaging thin spots, etc., in the cloth.

Another object thereof is to provide a stop motion for a loom and similar weaving machine or textile apparatus which is characterized by the fact that it not only operates to render the machine inactive when engaged by a defective portion of the weave of the machine but also absorbs the impact of the lay as it is advancing towards the breast beam.

A" further object thereof yis to provide, in a device of the kind described, improved means for automatically pre-setting the circuit closing parts of the device, the moment when the feeler nger thereof is caused to rest upon the material woven on the loom as it is moving upon the winding up cloth roll in a finished condition of weaving.

Another object thereof is to provide, in a device of the kind described, improved means for actuating the stop motion mechanism of the loom electrically, at the exact moment when a defective portion of the woven cloth moves into contact with the device, in spite of the fact that the device is subjected immediately afterwards to the impact of the advancing lay just before stopping of the machine occurs.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a device of the kind described, improved means imparting to the device, when applied properly directly over the cloth roll, a yielding action when it is engaged and contacted by the lay of the loom as the latter, if performing its beating up operation upon the yarn, while simultaneously mparting to the circuit closing parts of the device automatic operation.

A further object is to provide, in a device of the character set forth, improved means whereby use is made of a movable contact member which serves the two-fold purpose of closing an electrical circiut for stopping the loom and of applying desirable spring pressure, at all time, for keeping the circuit closer under proper tension to stay in and out of contact with certain terminals.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention -consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, applied in use on a loom,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention,

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of Figure .6,

Figure 8 is a fragmental detail view, partly in section, of the finger carried by the device shown in Figure 6,

`Figure 8a is a fragmental detail view, partly in section, of the pivoted end of the switch lever of the device illustrated in Figure 6,

Figure 9 is a cross section taken of the finger carried by the device illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 10 is diagrammatic views illustrating the successive steps in the operation of the present invention upon a loom.

In the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention, all the parts thereof are made to appear. The present invention takes into consideration the requirements of a positive ycircuit closer for the circuit that operates the 'electrical loom stop motions which are now found o n conventional looms electrically actuated. It further takes into consideration the supplying vof Las few parts as is consistent with simplifying the attachment, pre-setting thereof and actuation of the circuit closing parts of the device. It further bestows regard uponV designing lsuch a complete unit that it will enable it to withstand -punishment, severe usage without vthe hazard of any partsbecoming deranged orotherwise getting out of order.

In one form vof my inventionI 'provide a clevis upon a 'bracket and locate the circuit closingT mechanism thereupon. The bracket is an L- shaped stamping or the like consisting 'of the right angularly disposed arms i0 and il, formed both of them, with screw Aholes 12. IThis bracket is adapted to be surmounted upon the top lifof the usual breast plate CofaJ loom, which is located in proximity to the clcthwinding up roll B, over which cloth material woven `on the loom, just beaten by the lay A thereof, is suitably stretched by the usual means. Ascrew bolt i3 is extended into each screw hole vl? of 'arm il of the bracket and into the breast beam part i5, its polygonal head receiving thewrench for turning same down tight upon the bracketto clamp the latter against the breast beam `l"`6.

The clevis i1 is a ang'ed 'metal body having the back bight portion and the longitudinally oppositely extendingside walls 1B yand I9, forming 'flanges upon the top 'lb of the cle'vis. The interior of the clevis is 'denoted at 2l. I n this interior 2l is located va vcor'it'act'carrier- The attaching bolt I3 passes ,through the 'scre wy hole I2 of arm i3 of the bracket andinto the top IBb of the clevis, extends down the latte'rfand receives a nut I4 as ameans of clamping the clevis upon the bracket arm I0.

The clevis in this manner projects over the cloth roll B, as shown in Figure yl. The contact carrier in the clevis has the inner oppositely arranged arms 23, 24, formed with` lcurved terminals 22 which hug the screw vbolt, I3 that attaches the clevis upon the bracket. The arms 23, 2`4, are offset from the base portions thereof which are in flat contact centrallyof these inembers held riveted together as -at 21. The opposite ends of the members of the contactfcarrier bulge out in opposite directions toprov'ide'holding 'arms 25, 23, that enclose with a spring pressure or otherwise an insulator block 29, the inner side of which contacts the topl'b' of thecl'evis. From Figure 4, it will be seenthat akerf is 'cut into the block 29 into which the terminal 34 vof an'ele'ctricalwire 32 extends vflaltwisaso as to be clamped by a binding post 30`screwing h'ome'intothe block and engaging the same for this purpose'to imbed this terminal in the block insulatedly. `,I"l"ie head of this binding post 30 is outside of the clevis, abuts the block 29,'is designated 35, and constitutes a xed contact.

The top |817 of the clevis is formed with "a downwardly curving lip 35 which extends across between the sides of the clevis. The electrical wire 32 passes out of the clevis through a hole 28 in its outer end where the stretch 33 thereof runs to the stop motion circuit.

The underside of the block 29 is designated 31a. It is the side on which contact head 36 of the binding post 30 abuts. The bulging out portions 25, 25, of the contact carrier terminate in oppositely arranged cheeks 31, 31h, the forward edges of which are designated 45.

I provide a switch lever which is generally clesignated 4 9. lIt is a preferably channeled out metal bod-i7 elongated in extent, having the longitudinally extending parallel walls 62, 43. The rtop of this lever is designated 4| and at its extreme inner end it is narrowed to provide a tongue i6 which is spaced from the adjacent ends 45a andll'5b of the side walls of the lever 4 0, the latter forming a fork, while cheeks 31, 31b, 'o'f 'the contact carrier form another fork. Th'e forkof the lever is pivoted in between the sides of the fork 'of the contact member, lupon 'a pivot 'pin 44 passing into both forks. A pin 38 is mounted in the cheeks 31, 31o, eccentrically in advanceof and below pivot 44. A collar 39 is loose 'on YVthis and is interposed between lever 40 and 'the vflatspring contact arm 46a.

The side walls 42, 43, of the switch lever "40 are formed with pairs of oppositely arranged integral lugs 41 upon the bottom thereof. These lugs are bent back under the lever and serve to clinch tightlyv 4upon the lever the inner secured tapering end 49 of a ilat spring Contact arm 45o. A collar 48 receivesv the parts of the rlever '10 rigidly and rigidly and ixedly binds 'arid xsecures the at spring Contact arm 46d between 'the' ends of the lever 40, so this arn overlies the 'under edges of this lever.

A short `length of a rod is 4telescopec'l "and ys ecured rigidly into the outer end of 'the lever M1, designated 50, being operatively 'groovedfotft 50a by means of 'the opposite walls 5|, 52. `The outer ends of the side walls 5|, 52, of this lever extension 5i! are shaped to extend downw 'Adly and rearwardly to provide oppositely arranged ears 53. A plastic iin'g'er 5 6 is provided formed at itsfinner end with an integral cam-shaped body 51, thickened out with "respect to the 'finger proper. This body enters between 'the 'ears V53 of the lever extension 50 and is 4pivotd `iip`n a pin 55 to these vears eccentrically "thereof The inner top Vedge of the finger is straight 'and at right angles to the axis of the iing'enas'sljiown at 58. A spring wrehas its inner porto'nextending into the lever Illl) las Yslfio'wn in Figure 3`a`i1d bears against the top 1I tlie'reof.v It is y"fiirfned with an integral `intermediate c'rinkle 8|, which abuts the end ofthe lever 40 proper, as 'u'pohfa shoulder, at '63. The spring "wire 5s extends iii the lever extension 55 throughout 'its length and terminallyit' engages at'against the flat'straiglit edge 58 of the cam 51 f Vthe insulator or plastic ringerl 55. In doing this it clauses this depend from 7the outermost 'end "o f thefs'vvitch lever at right vangles to its len'gth,yieldably,^diie to the presence'of the lspringwire59. The'edge 5 8 is the bottom of a recess 30 frn'ied 'in the linger cam.

I provide a complete unitofrny invention fully equipped with everything lthat 'functions as "an electrical switch in Figures 1 "to "5. I :show "a modified form of my invention in Figures Ga d '1. Here the unit is not complete in itself. Itcarri'es but'` one of the two contacts -'of the complete switch, the other contact therefor being mounted upon the lay A of the loom. This modified un will now be described. This unit consists of a clevis and lever as hereinbefore set forth. The metal clevis has the` bight portion 64 providing oppositely arranged arms 66, 61, and a top 65, which has a downwardly curving lip 65a terminally as shown in Figure 8A. The top 65 of the clevis has a screw hole 65h therein. The interior of the clevis is denoted at 68. A washer sleeve 69 acts to span apart the arms 66, 61, of the clevis, being mounted loosely upon a pintle 16 which passes through these arms and the longitudinally extending side walls 1 I, 12, of the switch lever about to be further described. The switch lever is thus pivoted upon pintle 16 to the clevis. Mounted eccentrically of pintle 16 is another pintle 13 which also has its end conlined into the arms 66, 61, of the clevis. Upon this last named pintle 13 is mounted loosely a roller 14 arranged at the lower plane of the clevis in its interior 68. A flat spring arm 16 is mounted rigidly upon a pair of clinched back lugs 86, 8|, formed upon the opposite walls 18, 19a, of a guide member frictionally wedged or otherwise secured between the walls 1I, 12, of the switch lever. This flat spring arm 16 is further seated upon clinched back lugs 11, formed directly upon the under edges of the last named Walls 1|, 12, of the lever. At one end thereof this flat spring arm 16 carries fast thereupon the forwardly projecting tab 15 which bears against the roller upon its under face. The other end of the ilat spring arm 16 is frictionally held and bound upon the switch lever against the clinched back lugs integrally formed upon the sides 1 I, 12, of this lever. The extreme outer end of the flat spring arm 16 has a terminal 83 which is curvilinear in conguration. A pin 84 operatively projects through this curvilinear terminal 83 into the groove of the lever and serves as a stop for limiting the motion of a slide arm 16 guided movably over the outer end of the flat spring arm 16. This slide arm has a curved lip 86a moving therewith and abutting the stop pin 84, to prevent extraction of this slide arm from the lever.

The disposition of the clevis upon the lever is such that when the clevis is attached by a screw M Figure 6, directly upon the breast beam part I6, the lever will sag downwardly on a bias as shown in dotted lines in this figure, as Well as in Figure 8A. 'I'he lever can only move upwardly on the clevis thus attached to the, loom, to straighten itself out in line with the axis of the clevis, against the tension of the at spring arm 16, the tab 15 of which will be pressed by the roller cam 14 and flexed, as the lever is thus manipulated.

The slide arm 19 has xed to its outermost end, a reinforcing plate 85 and a U-shaped finger support is disposed below the arm 19 and fixed to the latter and the reinforcing plate 85 by a rivet 86. The support designated 81 includes a bight 88 and ears 89. A brass or conductor nger 9| is pivotally mounted on a pin 92 extending through the ears 86. A looped spring 66 is attached at its inner end to the slide bar 16 and has its forward end bearing against the upper end of finger 9| which is formed with a recess 93. A stop 94 eX- tends upwardly from finger 9| and is held against the forward end of arm 19 by spring 96 so that the finger 9| will be normally disposed at substantially right angles to arm 19.

The use and operation of my invention is as follows:

Reference will be made to the diagram'in Figure 10, as well as to the other figures of the drawing. Normally, when the clevis of either type of my invention is attached to the breast beam I6 of the loom, the switch lever 46 of the first type herein'described extends longitudinally over the cloth I 64 Woven on the loom and passing over the winding up roll B, and passing over the lay A as shown. vWhen the plastic finger 56 of the switch lever 46 is let down upon this stretched out cloth |64 so its tip end rests thereupon, as the cloth is advancing towards the breast beam, being lengthened by the beating process of the lay A, the finger is listed as a result. Initially, before this finger has been placed to rest upon the cloth, the lever 46 is raised upwardly as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. When the linger 56 rests upon the cloth |64 of the loom, it has straightened out the lever 46 in line with the clevis. In Figure 10 there are shown the several positions of lever 46. The illustration at (a) Figure 10, shows the normal disposition of the lever upon the clevis, before the device is mounted upon a loom. The illustration at (b) shows the unit4 attached to a loom with the linger engaging the cloth |64 to` raise the lever 46. In raising the lever in this manner, it is seen that there is a gap |65 between the free end of contact 46 and the fixed contact terminal 36. In Figure 1, it is seen that a wire 91 connects the lever 46 at its outer end. This lever is a good conductor of electricity. This wire is grounded at 98, also grounded, as at 99, is the wire |6| which connects with one side of a bat-- tery or electricity generator |66. From the other side of this battery a wire |62 extends, which with wire |63, which is attached to the contact screw 36 of the clevis, runs to the usual ground box (not shown), usually fastened down on the arch of the loom. It is here where the electrical means is caused, when the circuit is closed, to actuate the conventional loom stop mechanism.

In illustration (b) of Figure 10, it `is intended to show that when the nger 65 resting upon the cloth |64, lifts the lever 46 to straightened out position, the free end of the spring contact arm 46a is in circuit breaking position. This is the normal loom operating setting of the lever. Should a thin spot or similar defect appear in the cloth as it advances to be fed over the cloth roll B, when it comes under the linger 56, the finger, under influence of the springiness of the spring contact arm 46a (which had been put under tension upon raising of the lever), projects into the cloth which no longer can hold the finger and lever up. The nger thus moves downwardly as indicated by the arrow in illustration (lc) of Figure 10. Contact arm 46a is now in vcontact with contact 35, closing the electric circuit itc the stop motion meghanism and stopping the oom.

The modified device shown in Figures 6 and '1, operates in exactly the same manner as the device shown in Figures 1 to 5, except that the lay A carries one contact |65 which will engage contact finger 9| when the latter passes through the cloth and thereby close the stop motion circuit.

l7 attached'at H3 tothe clevis 6d, connects to the loom :stop mechanism as already-described here inbefore'. This Ycloses the circuit land stops Athe lo'om.

The present invention, in both forms, constitutes a positive contact making circuit closing devicefor stopping the loom to which it is attached. Thedevice functions automatically and thereis no occasion for parts to become deranged, or dislocated due to a minimum of friction existing fand to theyieldable action of the switch lever when 'impacted'by the lay. The device needs only afew screws to fasten Adown upon the loom, and itis then properly positioned and pre-set to close the electrical circuit of the loom stop motion mechanism when its finger feels the cloth and reachesa defect in-the same.

-I do rno't 'intend to conne myself to the exact details set forth herein save as pointed out in the appended claims.

What II desire to claim and secure by Letters Patentvis:

i1. A flaw detector for loomscomprising an elongated lever, a lever supporting member for attachment lto a loom, means pivotally mounting an -en'd offsa'id lever on said supporting member, an elongated flat spring on said lever secured at fone' encl'theretd a spring engaging member on said supporting member oset from the pivot of said-'lever for .engaging the free end of said spring thereby biasing the free end 'of said lever downwardly,.a cloth engaging' finger pivotally mounted on the free end of said lever normally supporting said lever against the spring tension, said lever constituting a conductor of a switch, a movable switch contact member on said lever, a fixed switch contact member, and means supporting said fixed contact adjacent an end of said lever innormallyspaced relation to said movable contact whereby said movable contact will engage said fixed Contact upon rocking of said lever under .spring tension upon engagement of the finger with a flaw in the fabric.

2. A -flaw detector for looms comprising an elongated lever for actuating an electrical switch connected to the :stop motion of the loom, a lever supporting member for attachment to the loom, means pivotally mounting an end of said lever on `said supporting member, a switch contact member on said lever, a fixed switch contact member adjacent an end of said lever, a fabric engaging finger on the free end of said lever, a flat spring on said lever and Xed at one end thereto, anda spring tensioning member on said lever isupporting member engageable with the free end of said spring biasing said lever on the pivot thereof, said finger normally supporting said lever against the `spring tension holding said switch contacts in spaced relation, said contacts engageable upon rocking of said lever under spring tension upon detection of a flaw in the fabric b-ysaid finger.

3. A yflaw detector for looms comprising an elongated lever for actuating an electrical switch connected to the stop motion of the loom, a lever supporting member for attachment to the loom, means pivotally mounting an end of said lever on said supporting member, a switch contact member on said'lever, a fixed switch contact member adjacent an end of said lever, a fabric-engagingfinger on `the free end of said lever, a flat spring on said lever vand Xed at one endthereto, a spring tensioning member on said lever. supporting member engageable with the rfree end rof said rspring biasing said lever 'on the 'pivot thereof, said finger normally supporting said lever against .the spring 'tension holding said switch contacts in `spaced relation, said 'contacts engageable upon rocking of said lever under 'spring tension upo'in detection of a fiow 'inthe fabric by said finger, means pivotally supporting said vfinger on Asaid lever, and spring means normally .holding said finger .perpendicular to the length of saidlever.

4. A iiaw detector for looms comprising an elongated lever for actuating'an electrical switch connected to the stop motion of theloom, a lever supporting `member for attachment to the loom, means vpivotally mounting 'an end of said lever on said supporting member, a switch contact member on said lever, a fixed switch contact member adjacent an end 4of said lever, a fabric engaging finger on the 'free end of said lever, a fiat spring on said lever vand fixed at one end thereto, a spring tensioning member on lsaid lever supporting member engageable with the free end of said `spring biasing said lever on the pivot thereof, said finger normally supporting said lever against the spring tension holding said switch contacts in spaced relation, said contacts engageable upon rocking of said'lever under spring tension 4upon detection of a fiaw in the fabric by said finger, means pivotally supporting said finger on said lever, spring means normally holding said finger perpendicular to the length of said lever, the free end of said'spring on lsaid lever constituting the switch contact member on said lever, and means securingv said xed contact member adjacent the pivotedend of said lever.

5. A flaw detector for looms comprising an elongated lever for actuating an electrical switch connected to the stop motion of the loom, a lever supporting member for attachment to the loom, means pivotally mounting an end of said lever on said supporting member, a switch contact member on said lever, a fixed switch contact member adjacent an end of said lever, a fabric engaging finger on the lfree end of said lever, a flat spring on said lever `and fixed at one end thereto, a spring tensioning member on `said lever lsupporting member engageable with the free end of said spring biasing said lever on the pivot thereof, said finger normally supporting said lever against the spring tensionholdin?,r said switch contacts in spaced relation, said contacts engageable upon rocking of said lever under spring tension upon detection of a aw in the fabricby said nger, means pivotally supporting said vfinger on said lever, `spring means normally holding said finger perpendicular to the length of said lever, said fingerconstituting the contact 4member on said lever, and means supporting said fixed switch contact member adjacent the freeend of said'lever for engagement with `said finger upon detection of a flaw in the fabric.

ANDREW B. SHELTON.

REFERENCES CITED vThe following references are of record in the fileiof this patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS Thomas Aug. 26, 1947 

